“Fire Hose Training,” “Death by PowerPoint,” and “Data Dumping”—experiences we have either had, heard about or are (unwilling to admit) created. Training experiences don’t have to bore participating audiences and can be unexpected engaging and memorable experiences.
So what does unexpected look like?
It’s Not About You – It’s About Your Audience
You often know too much about what you present. In fact, it is this expertise that probably led you to be asked to speak in the first. The content of your speech or training fulfills the needs of your audience and less about showing them what you know, will ensure that your message is more compelling.
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“Today’s audiences have very short attention spans. They are stimulation junkies with limited interest levels that will forgive you for almost anything except being boring.” says Patricia Fripp, presentation skills expert and sought-after speech coach.
Throw Out Traditional
Get rid of the long rows of tables and chairs in a boring classroom setting. Change the room setup. Give them tables with few chairs or large comfortable seating that encourages living room conversations.
Varied Media
It’s a tough job being an audience of a boring presentation. PowerPoint isn’t the problem—the error almost always lies with the user. Your presentation is absorbed more quickly and remembered longer if learners absorb it with both eyes and ears. Keep your audience alert with “less is more.” Remember that the more varied the media used the better the retention.
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